Mafia faces the music in New York

US and Italian authorities launched a massive operation against the New York and Sicilian Mafia on Thursday, arresting more than 80 suspects in a sweep described as a major blow against organised crime.

Prosecutors in New York unveiled a 170-page indictment against 62 individuals detailing murder, racketeering, loan sharking, conspiracy, drugs and extortion charges for crimes going back as far as the 1970s.

The sweep netted 61 alleged members of three of the five families that run the Mafia in New York — the Gambino, Genovese, and Bonanno families.

Among those facing charges were top Gambino leaders including acting boss John D”Amico, also known as “Jackie the Nose,” acting underboss Domenico “The Greaseball” Cefalu and consigliere Joseph “Miserable” Corozzo.

“These charges strike at the very core of the Gambino family, targeting its leadership and illicit profits,” US Attorney Benton Campbell said, unveiling the charges in New York.